Irish look to get defensive

February 28, 2009|By CURT RALLO Tribune Staff Writer

In a fierce conference like the Big East, the last thing a women's basketball team wants to do is hand over points to the enemy. When Notre Dame travels to take on Providence today, Fighting Irish coach Muffet McGraw wants to see the point flow to the other side stop. Notre Dame has connected on 49 baskets from 3-point range this season out of 165 attempts for a percentage of .297. Opponents, though, have connected on 81-of-234 shots from 3-point range, a clip of .346 percent. Those extra 32 points for opposing teams have been costly to the Irish. "The biggest thing is the 3-point percentage," McGraw said about her concerns at the defensive end. "We have to get that down. I really want to keep opponents under 30 percent (3-point shooting), and under 40 percent from the field. That's what I want. I don't think it's too much to ask." Notre Dame frequently uses a zone defense, but McGraw doesn't think the zone is the problem in the perimeter breakdowns. "I think part of is that teams are quicker, and our close-outs are a little out of control," McGraw said. "Maybe we could be a little more disciplined. And in rebounding, our box-outs could be better. A lot of it is not containing the ball." Offensively, the Irish are on an upswing. Ashley Barlow, Lindsay Schrader and Becca Bruszewski have been increasing their productivity. Melissa Lechlitner is picking up her game, and Erica Williamson was forceful against Syracuse on Tuesday. "It's so exciting to see them having so much fun," McGraw said of the players who are picking up momentum heading into March. "They really enjoy playing. When you're playing well, you're anxious for the next game to get here. Practice is fun. You're focused and intense, but at the same time, it's fun. "It's a great feeling to know you're playing well. Everybody is light." Ashley Barlow's play is critical for the Irish. She suffered a concussion against Michigan State (On Nov. 29), and suffered from its effects for a couple of weeks. "I think she is really playing very well right now," McGraw said of Barlow. "She's shooting well, she's aggressive, and she came up with big rebounds. She looked like her old self, with her six assists. Plus, she's going in battling the big guys for boards. "That's been key in last few games. She's really turned things around." Providence is hoping to be a road hazard for Notre Dame. "They're coming off a big win over Marquette, and it will be senior night," McGraw said. "Heading into the (Big East) tournament, everybody is trying to get on an upswing. They have good guard play, and good post play." A concern for the injury-depleted Irish is the availability of center Erica Solomon. "Erica did not practice (Wednesday)," McGraw said. "She's sore, and she's questionable for the Providence game. She doesn't need a doctor's care. She just landed funny and tweaked it. I expect that she'll be back on Monday."

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